Catholic University of Daegu

Presentation

The Catholic University of Daegu is the largest Catholic-affiliated university in South Korea. The main campus is located some distance outside Daegu in neighboring Hayang Town, with two smaller campuses within Daegu. The university enrolls about 17,000 students.

The St. Justino Seminary, from which the university claims descent, opened in Daegu on November 1, 1914, having been founded in May of that year. The first four rectors of the school were French missionaries, the first being a Fr. Chargeboeuf, also known by his Korean name Song Duck-mang (송덕망). The first Korean rector, Fr. Choi Min-sun (최민순), who took up the post in 1945, was also the last rector of the seminary, which closed due to the turbulent events of that year, sending most of its students home in May but remaining open until December to allow the final class of 4 to graduate.

In 1952, the Hyosung Women’s Junior College (효성여자초급대학) was established, offering instruction to 150 students in the fields of music, literature, and home economics. The following year, it became a four-year college, also offering instruction in pharmacology. The college continued to expand steadily in the following years, establishing its graduate school in 1972 and gaining university status in 1980.

Catholic University of Daegu maintains international relations with 68 universities in 19 countries: